General Raevsky is a famous domestic commander, a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. He spent about 30 years in the service in the Russian army, taking part in all the main battles of that time. He became famous after his feat near Saltanovka, the struggle for his battery was one of the key episodes of the battle of Borodino. Participated in the Battle of the Nations and the capture of Paris. It is noteworthy that he was familiar with many Decembrists, the poet Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin.
Origin of an officer
General Raevsky came from an old noble family, whose representatives had been in the service of Russian rulers since the time of Basil III. The grandfather of the hero of our article participated in the Battle of Poltava, retired with the rank of brigadier general.
The father of General Raevsky Nikolai Semenovich served in the Izmailovsky regiment. In 1769, he married Ekaterina Nikolaevna Samoilova. Their firstborn was called Alexander. In 1770, Nikolai Semenovich went to the Russian-Turkish war, was wounded while taking Zhupzhi, and died in the spring of the following year a few months before the birth of the hero of our article.
Nikolai Nikolaevich Raevsky was born on September 14, 1771 in St. Petersburg. His mother could not bear the death of her husband, it affected the health of the child, Nikolai grew very painful. A few years later, Ekaterina Nikolaevna got married a second time. Her chosen one was General Lev Denisovich Davydov, the uncle of the famous partisan and poet Denis Davydov. In this marriage, she had three more sons and a daughter.
The hero of our article grew up mainly in the family of his maternal grandfather Nikolai Samoilov, where he received a French education, a brilliant home education.
At the service
According to the customs of that time, Nicholas was early enrolled in military service. Already at the age of 3, he was listed in the Preobrazhensky regiment. In fact, he joined the army from the age of 14 at the beginning of 1786.
In 1787, the next Russo-Turkish war began. Raevsky was a volunteer in the army. He was in the detachment of the Cossack Colonel Orlov. In 1789 he was transferred to the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment. In its composition, the hero of our article takes part in battles on the Cahul and Larga rivers, the passage through Moldova, the sieges of Bender and Ackerman. For the firmness, courage and resourcefulness shown in these companies, in 1790 he was given command of a Cossack regiment.
In December 1790, his brother Alexander was killed when Ishmael was captured. From that war he returns to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Colonel Raevsky becomes in early 1792 during the Polish campaign.
Caucasus
In 1794, Raevsky entered the command of the Nizhny Novgorod Regiment. At that time it is located in Georgievsk. The Caucasus is calm, so the hero of our article takes a vacation to get married in St. Petersburg. His chosen one is Sofia Konstantinova. In the middle of 1795 they returned to Georgievsk, here they already had their firstborn.
During this period, the situation in the region is heating up. The Persian army invades the territory of Georgia, Russia declares war on Persia, fulfilling the St. George Treaty. In the spring of 1796, the Nizhny Novgorod Regiment speaks to Derbent. The city was taken after a 10-day siege. Raevsky's regiment was directly responsible for the movement of the grocery store and the protection of communications. The reports to the command noted that the 23-year-old commander maintained strict discipline and order in a difficult and grueling campaign.
Having ascended the throne, Paul I ordered an end to the war. At the same time, many military leaders were removed from command. Among them was Rayevsky. Throughout the reign of this emperor, the hero of our article lived in the province, equipping the vast estates of his mother. He returned to the army in the spring of 1801, when Alexander I ascended the throne. The new emperor promoted him to major general. After a few months, he again leaves the service, this time on his own initiative, returning to his family and rural concerns. During this period, he has five daughters and another son.
Wars at the beginning of the 19th century
In 1806, an anti-French coalition was formed in Europe . Prussia, dissatisfied with the actions of Napoleon, begin a war against France. At the same time, the Prussians soon suffer a crushing defeat, and in October 1806 the French entered Berlin. Adhering to allied commitments, Russia sends its army to East Prussia. Napoleon has a twofold superiority in numbers, but he does not manage to realize it, which is why the fighting is being delayed.
At the beginning of 1807, Raevsky filed a petition for his admission to the ranks of the army. He is appointed commander of the jaeger brigade.
In June, the hero of our article takes part in all the major battles of that period. These are the battles of Guttstadt, of Ankendorf, of Deppen. The battle on June 5th becomes especially important for him, under Guttstadt he proves himself a skilled and brave military leader, forcing the French to retreat.
A few days later under Geylsbergeon receives a bullet wound in the knee, but remains in service. The Tilsit world put an end to the war with France, but confrontations with Sweden and Turkey immediately began. For the brilliantly held battle against the Swedes in Finland receives the rank of lieutenant general. Since 1808, Raevsky has commanded the 21st Infantry Division. In the war against Turkey, it is different in the capture of the Silistria fortress.
Patriotic War of 1812
When Napoleon’s army invades Russian territory, General Raevsky commands the 7th infantry corps in the army of General Bagration. The 45,000th army begins to retreat from Grodno to the east to join the army of Barclay de Tolly.
Napoleon seeks to prevent this unification, for which he throws across Bagration the 50,000th corps of Marshal Davout. July 21, the French occupy Mogilev. The parties do not have reliable information about the size of the enemy, so Bagration decides to drop the French with the Raevsky corps so that the main army can reach the direct road to Vitebsk.
A fierce battle begins on July 23 near the village of Saltanovka. 10 hours the corps of General Nikolai Raevsky is fighting immediately with five divisions of Davout. In this battle develops with varying success. At a critical moment in the battle, General Nikolai Raevsky himself leads the Smolensky Regiment into battle. The hero of our article is injured in the chest with buckshot, his behavior takes the soldiers out of a stupor, they put the enemy to flight. This feat of General Raevsky became well known. According to legend, in a battle at this moment his sons were fighting next to him - 11-year-old Nikolai and 17-year-old Alexander. True, General N. N. Raevsky himself later rejected this version, clarifying that his sons were with him that morning, but did not go on the attack.
The battle of Saltanovka becomes known to the whole army, raises the spirit of soldiers and officers. General N. N. Raevsky himself turns into one of the most beloved military leaders among the soldiers and the whole people.
After a bloody battle, he manages to withdraw the corps from the battle in a combat-ready state. Davout, suggesting that the main forces of Bagration would soon join, postponed the general battle the next day. At this time, the Russian army successfully crossed the Dnieper, advancing towards Smolensk to join Barclay. The French learn about this only after a day.
Battles for Smolensk
Successful rearguard battles allowed the Russian army to unite near Smolensk. On August 7, it was decided to go on the offensive. Napoleon decided to go behind Barclay, but the stubborn resistance of the Neverovsky division near Krasny delayed the French offensive for a whole day. During this time, Rayevsky's corps arrived in Smolensk.
When on August 15 there were 180,000 Frenchmen near the city walls, only 15,000 people remained at the disposal of the hero of our article. His task was to keep the city at least a day before the arrival of the main forces. At the military council, it was decided to concentrate forces within the old fortress wall, organizing the defense on the outskirts. It was expected that the main blow the French would inflict on the Royal Bastion, which was entrusted to defend General Paskwich. In just a few hours, General Raevsky in Smolensk organized the defense of the city, showing tactical training and organizational skills.
The next morning, the French cavalry rushes to the attack, it manages to press out the Russian cavalry, but Rayevsky's artillery stops the advance of the enemy. Next in the attack is the infantry of Marshal Ney. But Paskevich repels the attack in the area of the Royal Bastion. At 9 a.m. Napoleon arrives in Smolensk. He orders to begin shelling the city, later Ney makes another attempt to assault, but again unsuccessfully.
It is believed that if Napoleon managed to quickly capture Smolensk, he would have managed to strike at the rear of the disparate Russian army and defeat it. But this was not allowed by the troops under the command of Raevsky. Only on August 18, Russian troops left the city, blowing up bridges and powder depots.
Borodino
At the end of August 1812, command of the Russian army passed to Kutuzov. The central event of World War II was the battle on the Borodino field 120 kilometers from Moscow. In the center of the Russian army was Kurgan height, which was entrusted with defending under the command of the hero of our article.
On the eve of the soldiers of the battery of General Raevsky built earthen fortifications. At dawn, 18 guns were installed. The French began shelling the left flank at 7 a.m. At the same time, a struggle ensued at the Kurgan height. Infantry divisions were sent to storm it, after artillery preparation the enemy went on the attack. The battery of General Raevsky in a difficult situation managed to stop the advance of the enemy.
Soon three French divisions set off to storm, and the situation on the battery was simply critical, there were not enough shells. When the French broke into the heights, a hand-to-hand fight began. Ermolov’s battalions arrived in time to rescue, who threw the enemy back. In the course of these two attacks, the French army suffered significant losses.
At this time, on the left flank of Platov’s regiment and Uvarov’s cavalry stopped the enemy’s attacks, giving Kutuzov the opportunity to tighten reserves on the left flank. Raevsky’s corps was exhausted; Likhachev’s division was sent to help the battery.
After lunch, artillery firefight began. They tried to take the height by storm by infantry and cavalry with the support of 150 guns at the same time. The losses were large on both sides. The detachments of General Raevsky at Borodino received from the enemy the nickname "graves of the French cavalry." Only due to significant superiority in numbers, around 16.00 the enemy managed to occupy a height.
With the onset of darkness, the battle ceased, the French were forced to retreat to their original borders, leaving the battery of General Raevsky. In the war, the hero of our article once again showed courage. At the same time, the losses of the corps were enormous, the officer himself was wounded in the leg, but did not leave the battlefield, having spent the whole day in the saddle. For this heroic defense he was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
During the military council at Fili, Raevsky supported Kutuzov, who proposed leaving Moscow. When Napoleon left the burnt city a month later, a major battle took place near Maloyaroslavets, Raevsky’s corps was sent to help Dokhturov. With the help of this reinforcement, the enemy was driven back from the city. To Kaluga, the French did not manage to break through, were forced to retreat along the Old Smolensk road.
In November, as a result of a 3-day battle near Red, Napoleon lost a third of his army. It was Raevsky’s corps that smashed the remains of Marshal Ney’s corps, which he had to fight during the campaign. Soon after, Raevsky went for treatment due to numerous wounds and shell shocks.
Overseas trip
The hero of our article returned to service a few months later in the midst of a foreign campaign. He was given command of the grenadier corps. In the spring of 1813, his troops showed themselves in the battles of Bautzen and Königsvart. At the end of the summer, he joined the Bohemian army of Field Marshal Schwarzenberg. As part of this military unit, Raevsky’s corps participated in the Battle of Kulm, in which the French were defeated, and in the unsuccessful Battle of Dresden for the Allied Army. For the courage shown under Kulm, Raevsky received the Order of St. Vladimir of the first degree.
A special role in the biography of General Raevsky was played by the so-called Battle of the Peoples near Leipzig. During the battle, Nikolai Nikolayevich was wounded in the chest, but remained in the saddle, continuing to command his corps until the very end of the battle. The message about General N. N. Raevsky, who once again proved himself to be a hardy and fearless officer, was delivered to the command, he was promoted to general by cavalry.
In the winter of 1814, having barely regained his health, Raevsky returned to the army. He takes part in several other important battles, including at Bar-sur-Ob, Brienne, Arcy-sur-Ob. In the spring, Russian troops come to Paris. Raevsky’s corps attacks Belleville, occupies this height, despite the fierce resistance of the enemy. This contributed to the fact that the defenders of the French capital, as a result, were forced to lay down their arms and start negotiations. For the courage shown in the battles for Paris, Raevsky received the Order of St. George of the second degree. Many historians were engaged in the exploration of his exploits and biography; perhaps the most thorough and complete work belongs to N. A. Pochko. About General N. N. Raevsky, he wrote several comprehensive studies.
In recent years
After World War II, Raevsky settled in Kiev. In February 1816, he took command of the Third, and then the Fourth Infantry Corps. However, he was not interested in court posts, politics and official honors. They say that he even refused the title of count, which was granted to him by Emperor Alexander I.
Almost every year, the hero of our article, along with the whole family, went on a trip to the Caucasus or the Crimea. During this period, the general met closely with Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. The young poet becomes a close friend of the officer himself and his children. With his daughter Maria, he even has a romantic relationship. Pushkin devotes several of his poems to her.
In November 1824, Raevsky voluntarily went on leave for health reasons. He is experiencing a difficult time in 1825: at first his mother, Ekaterina Nikolaevna, dies, and after the Decembrist uprising, three people close to him are immediately arrested - the husbands of the daughters Volkonsky and Orlov, brother Vasily Lvovich. All are expelled from the capital. The sons of the general are also involved in the investigation, but in the end, all charges are removed from them. In 1826, Raevsky forever says goodbye to his darling, daughter Masha, who goes for exile to Siberia for her husband.
The new emperor Nicholas I appoints Raevsky a member of the Council of State.
Personal life
The family of General Raevsky was large and friendly. In 1794, he married Sofya Alekseevna Konstantinova, who was two years older than him. Her parents are Greek by nationality Aleksey Alekseevich Konstantinov, who worked as a librarian with Catherine II, and the daughter of Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov Elena Mikhailovna.
Nikolai and Sophia loved each other, remaining faithful spouses until the end of their lives, despite some differences. In total, seven children were born to them. The first-born was the son of General Raevsky Alexander, who was born in 1795. He became a colonel and chamberlain. The second son Nikolai, born in 1801, rose to the rank of lieutenant general, participated in the Caucasian wars, is considered the founder of Novorossiysk.
Nikolai Nikolaevich, Jr. made a dizzying career, having died early enough. He caught erysipelas on the way to Moscow from the south of Russia. He died on his estate in the Voronezh province at the age of only 43 years.
Daughter Catherine was a maid of honor, the wife of the Decembrist Mikhail Orlov, Elena and Sophia also became maids of honor, Sophia died in infancy, Maria, who was the favorite of the hero of our article, became the wife of the Decembrist Sergei Volkonsky, followed him to exile in Siberia.
The hero of our article died on September 16, 1829 near Kiev in the village of Boltyshka. Now it is located in the Aleksandrovsky district of the Kirovograd region. The general was 58 years old, buried in the village of Razumovka in the family tomb. The cause of his death at such an early age was pneumonia. Health, undermined by numerous wounds, could not cope with this ailment. Raevsky’s wife survived him for 15 years, died in Rome in 1844, where she was buried.